Can-filling machine



Feb. 19, 1929.

C. H. -AYARS CAN FILLni'G MACHINE 2 sheets-sheer Filedl March 24, 1927 :FZ-Ci 1 WJTNESSES;

mVENroR.- Charlas H Ayalzs,

BY v

ATORE 'Febf'm 1929.

C. H. 'AYARS' CAN FILLING MACH-mn Filed March 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 WITNESSE: 851 y INVENTOR.- /ZIIJS Mas) BYv l ATTORNEY.

Patentedv Feb. 19, 1929.

OFFICE.

CHARLESv H. .AYARS, F SALEM, NEW JERSEY.

CAN-FILLING MACHINE. Y

' My invention relates rto canning machinery andmore particularly to means for agitating the material contained in the hopper of a can i'illing machine, such as the one illustrated and described in Patent No. 1,480,335, issued to me on January 8, 1924.

In canning certain materials, itis necessary to agitate or revolve the hopper in order to prevent the material from` clogging therein and, in the case of soft and tender materials,

, such agitation must be Gentle but ositive in order to insure a full the material.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means for agitating the material imf pack without injury to a mcdiatel 1 above the measuring rece tacles so that they are positively filled while the material being canned is agitated only while passing through the agitat-ing device. In thismanner, the material in the main part i of the hopper moves downwardly without being agitated and thus is not mutilated or bruised. Another object of my invention is to so design its structure that juices will be confined to the interior of the machine and its parts be readily accessible for cleaning and inspection.

These objects, and other advantageous ends whichwill be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being vhad to the accompanying drawings in which the invention is shown applied to the machine illustrated and described in Patent No. 1,490,355. v

Figure 1 being a top plan view of a canning machine embodying my invention with the hopper omitted andthe hopper flange shown in section; the View being taken substantially on line 1 1 on-Figure 2. Y

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 2 2 on Figure 1 but. showing certain parts in full, and c Figure 3 a fragmentary vertical section on line 3 3 on Figure 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, in whichy only such parts of a can {llling machine have been shown as are necessaryto illustrate the'application of my invent-ion to such machine, 5 represents asuitable frame which carries a liquid tank 6 and has a shaft 7 rotatable near its center. A bed plate 8 is mounted in tank 6, extending upwardly at an angle to a horizontal plane, and is provided with a discharge opening 9, ex-

`cups 14 telescoping into cups 13 and is tending through the bottom oftank 6, and a plurality of small holes 10 which are adapted to allow juices to pass through they bed plate into tank 6. The upper surface of'bed plate 8 is machined to a smooth finish and provides a suitable bearing for the bottom of a measuring wheel 11 which is adapted -to rotate theref on and to carry measured quantities of material from the hopper 12 to dischargeopenlng 9.'

Measuring wheel ll-is composed of a lower section having a plurality of measurin cups 13 and an upper section having a pluraIity of ada ted to be moved upwardly or downwardlylby means of a hand wheel 15 threaded to the outside of the lower section p of the measuring wheel. Measuring wheel 11 is rotated by shaft 7 which is Y provided ywith an an ular head 16 engaging the lower section o the wheel.

A hopper plate 17 rests on measuring wheel 11 yand is provided with an upturned flange 18 Vto which `hopper 12 is secured; the greater so as to provide liquid-tightcjoints between -i thehopper and the agitator and between the agitator and the measuring wheel.

Agitator -19 is provided with an arm 20, extending through a suitable slot in flange 18 and pivoted to frame 5 at 21, and with an arm 22 whichr extends through another slot in flange 18 and is provided at its outer end withV a slot 23. A .pin 24 extends through slot 23 and is eccentrically mounted in; a disk 25, secured to the top of a shaft 26 rotatably mounted in frame5. shaft 26 will rock agitator 19 on pivot 2l and, in order to regulate the degree of agitation, Il provide a plurality of holes 27 in disk 25disposed at different distances from its center r and adapted to receive pin 24, so that the def gree of agitation may beregulated by placingV pin 24 ina hole 27 nearer to or farther from thecenter of disk 25. Arms 20 and 22 also preventagitator 19 from being displaced by` the rotation of measuring wheel 11. Y n

In order to prevent hopper 12 from moving, I form an arm 28 integral with flange 18 and secure its outer endto frame 5 by passing a rod 29 through a slot in arm 20 and securmg its ends toarm 28 and frame 5 respectively.

It isevident that rotation of A second arm 30 is formed integral with flange 18 and secured to frame 5 by means of a rod 31.

Agitator 19 is especially adapted for use with soft fruit which must be gently dealt with. lts inner face, which is the only part which contacts with the fruit, is therefore smooth and free from any inwardly or upwardly projecting fingers or projections. lts inner wall is perpendicular instead of being inclined to correspond with that of the hopper thereby affording more space than the discharge end of the hopper and less resistance to passage of the fruit. lts lower is beveled and, therefore, when the ag'tator is reciprocated, tends to press the fruit downwardly into the measuring cup. in operating the machine,

the material to be canned is placed in hopper 12 and power applied to the machine in 'the usual manner so that measuring wheel 11 will rota-e and arm 22 be agitated by disk 25. The material will move downwardly in hopper 11 into the measuring cups which will rotate until they come into alignment with discharge opening 9 where their contents will be directed into cans fed thereunder in the well known manner.

As arm 22 is being constantly agitated, agitator 19 will move to and fro within the limits defined by disk 25, preventing the material in the hopper from clogging and gently but positively forcing same into the measuring cups, The material above agitator 19 will move downwardly due to the agitation of the material underneath it but will be neither'bruised nor mutilated by any agitation. ln passing through agitator 19, the material is agitated sufficiently to cause it to pass therethrough, but not sufficiently to suffer any damage, particularly as agitator 19 is preferably shallow relatively to the height of hopper`12.

ln thus using the machine, I find material that is extremely tender or very soft may be canned without any injury tiereto and that my improved machine afsures a uniform and first class pack.

l/Vhile l produce canning fixed hoppers, rotatable hoppers and agitating hoppers, l find that the machine above described fills a need that has long Vbeen felt in the trade as it possesses peculiar advantages over any machines heretofore produced and, while l have illustrated and described it in conjunction with a particular canning machine, it will be readily understood that it may be applied to other types of machines and that certain modifications machines having might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims. v, f

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is v 1. ln a can filling mechanism having movable measuring` cups, a hopper base, a hopper carried thereby, and an annularagitator disposed above the path of travel of the measuring cups and making a close joint with the hopper, the agitator having a smooth interior and having its lower edge beveled.

2. In a can lilling machine having Vmovable measuring cups; an agitator resting on the measuring cups, a hopper resting on the agitatoiyand means for actuating the agitator.

3. ln a can filling machine having movable measuring cups; an agitator resting on the measuring cups, a hopper resting on the'agitator, liquid tight joints formed between the hopper and the agitator and between the agitator and the measuring cups, and means for actuating the agitator.

il, ln a can filling machine having movable measuring cups; a hopper plate `disposed above the cups, a flange on the hopper plate, an agitator within the flange and resting on the measuring cups, to the `flange and resting on the agitator, and meansA for actuating the agitator. A

In a can filling machine having a frame and measuring cups movable in the frame; a hopper plate disposed above the cups, a flange on the hopper plate, an agitator within the flange and resting on the measuring cups, a hopper Vsecured to the flange and resting on the agitator, arms extending from the flange and secured to the frame for holding the hopper against displacement.

6. In a can filling machine having a. frame Y and measuring cups movable in the frame; a hopper plate disposed above the cups, a flsmgev onthe hopper plate, an agitator within the flange and resting on the measuring cups, a hopper secured to the flange and resting on the agitator, an arm fixed tothe agitator and pivoted to the frame, a second arm fixed to the agitator and connected to an eccentric, and means for actuating the eccentric.Y ln testimony whereof I have signedv my name-to this specification.'

CHARLES n. Arms.

a hopper securedV 

